The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-02
JERKED OVER A TREE-TOP
Further Particulars of the Crawford
County Lynching on Last Monday.
The Brutal Outrage of Charles Davis, Young
Farmer, Avenged in Novel and Terri
Bile Manner by an Infatuated Mob.

Further particulars regarding the Crawford
county lynching were learned yesterday from
Sheriff Lewis, Of Gibson county, who arrived in
the city with two insane patients, whom he
placed in the asylum The story of the outrage
and the hanging was told the Sheriff a. Boston.
a small station on the Louisville, Evansville
& ST. Louis railway the scene of the
tragedy. Charles Davis. the young
man who was hung by the mob, was son of q
prosperous stock raiser Crawford county,
eight miles south of Boston. Charles and his
brother Walter, a few years younger. stood well
in the community. The nearest neighbor of the
Davis family was James Flanagan, whose family
consisted besides his wife, of son, Harry, aged
twelve and daughter, Ella. fourteen years
old. The girl was very pretty and much ad-
mired in the neighborhood. The Davis boys
had been visiting her for several months, and it
was generally supposed that she and Charles
would be married.
Last Sunday afternoon, Mr.. Flanagan. his wife
and Oldest children went to church, leaving Ella
and her brother Harry at home. just before
dusk the two Davis boys visited the house, and
told Harry that some cattle had broken into his
fathers garden. Tho little fellow, not suspect
ing anything wrong. put on his hat and ran to
look after the stock. The Davis brothers re-
manned at the house, and, when the boy left,
Charles Davis drew a pistol and. threatening to
kill the girl. ran her from the house. She en-
deavored to seek protection at the house Of a
neighbor, andin running toward it was compelled
to pass strip of woods. She was pursued by
Davis, who overlook her in the timber and
struck her the head with the handle of his
pistol knocking her senseless to the ground,
after which he outraged her. When he was
joined by his brother the two men gagged the
still insensble girl and bound her to n tree,
away from the road in the most dense and less
FREQ uent ted portion of the woods. They then
left her. apparently dead from the effects of the
bleeding wound on the head, and went to the
village of Boston.
Harry Flanagan returned to the house in about
half an hour, and not seeing his sister. naturally
supposed she was out walking with the Davis
boys, as she had been in the habit of doing every
Sunday afternoon. The family returned from
church about 10 o'clock at night, and, becoming
somewhat uneasy about the girls absence, sent
Harry TO the houses of the neighbors in search
of her. When he came back with the news that
his sister had been seen by one in the neigh
hood. they became seriously alarmed, and. the
girl not returning, passed the night in much
anxiety.
Early Monday morning Mr.. Flanagan got to-
gether q number of his friends and organized
search for his daughter. About noon Monday,
while they were passing through the woods.
their attention was attracted by finding
little pool of blood in the road, and
evidence of struggle having taken place
in the rrampled-down grass and broken under
growth the side of the road. They
searched the woods thoroughly, and finally
found Miss Flanagan securely bound to a tree.
Her clothing was almost torn from her body;
she covered with blood from the wound
her head, and was almost dead from exposure
and the intense suffering from her wound. Her
wrists were cut and badly swollen from the cord
in her attempt to free herself, and when the ter
rors stricken crowd Inbound her she fell insensi-
BILE to the ground. After being carried to the
house restorarives were administered, and she
told her parents and their friends of the out
rage she had been made to submit to. and OF her
horrible experience bound to tho tree in the
woods. Great indignation was expressed on all
sides, and late Monday afternoon a posse Of fifty
farmers organized and began a search for the
two men. In Boston they learned that Charles
Davis had been seen riding down the turnpike
an hour before their arrival. The men put their
horses to the run, and went in pursuit OF the
man. Another party was organized, and they
began q search for Walter Davis. just
after dark Charles Davis was. found
concealed under house, and was
terrified and quaking with fear
He was securely strapped to horse and driven
back to the spot where he had ravished the girl
He begged for mercy but his cries were
needed. He was taken from the horse, his hands
tied behind him, and was given two minutes in
which to pray. He awaited himself of the time
allowed. and at the expiration OF it stout sap
ling was bent down, a short rope tied to the top
with the other end about Davis's neck; six men
held down the tree and when it was released it
flew back into position and Davis was jerked
twenty feet into the air. The force threw him
over the top of the tree, and as the rope brought
him up short on the other side his neck was
broken. The body was riddled with bullets by
the crowd and allowed to hang there until yes
terday morning when it was cut down by Mr..
Davis and given burial
Walter Davis probably succeeded in leaving
the country. as the posse who were in search of
him failed to find any trace of him. IL they sue
coed in finding him he will be treated as was his
brother. Miss Flanigans condition is danger
GUS. 1t is thought her skull has been fractured,
and in which event she will probably not re-
cover.